Phở Cuốn Recipe

Phở cuốn is a Vietnamese rolled dish and an interesting adaptation of traditional phở. Compared to classic phở varieties, it is a relatively modern creation, yet many people can’t live without it in Vietnam.

I will reveal many fascinating facts about this tasty dish of Vietnamese cuisine.

I will cover the history of phở cuốn, the necessary tools and ingredients of phở cuốn, the guide on how to prepare it at home, and serving tips as well as suggestions.

Are you ready to make the best phở cuốn ever?

How Was Phở Cuốn Created?

Phở cuốn was the creation of Vũ Thị Chinh, a Northern Vietnamese phở vendor who has a stall in Hanoi.

In 2000, at the height of the summer, Ms. Chinh was motivated to prepare something cool and refreshing for her sweating customers, who didn’t like hot phở then.

Her idea was to roll fresh phở noodle sheets around a filling of sautéd beef slices and aromatic herbs. The rolled dish received mixed reviews at first, but it soon gained widespread fame throughout Hanoi.

Today, phở cuốn is one of the iconic street foods of Vietnam’s capital city. A typical serving contains sautéd beef (or even rare beef), lettuce, Vietnamese coriander, Thai basil, etc.

Some variations contain more ingredients, like pumpkins, carrots, and eggs. Dipping sauces based on nước mắm (Vietnamese fish sauce) are the most popular accompaniments for phở cuốn.

This rolled dish is often served by street vendors in Vietnam, but I will show you how to prepare it at home as an appetizer or main dish, starting with gathering the necessary tools.

What Tools Are Necessary For Making Phở Cuốn?

You don’t need fancy cooking equipment to make phở cuốn; I’m sure the following tools are already part of your kitchen, except for the steamer.

After getting these tools ready, let’s acquire the essential ingredients for rolling some phở cuốn.

What Are The Must-have Ingredients For Phở Cuốn?

Basic phở cuốn consists of three parts: phở noodle sheets, beef, and vegetables. Since I include the ingredients for DIY phở noodles, there are more components than usual.

However, you can purchase phở noodle sheets at Vietnamese or Asian food stores. In that case, skip the flour ingredients and jump straight to the beef.

Phở Noodles

Stir-fried Beef:

Vegetables:

Now that you are clear about the ingredients, I will cover the main part of this post: the step-by-step guide on how to cook phở cuốn.

What Are the Steps of Making Phở Cuốn At Home?

Generally, making phở cuốn involves preparing the ingredients, stir-frying the beef and vegetables, steaming sheets of phở noodles, and rolling the phở noodle sheets.

Read on to see the in-depth instructions for each step.

Step 1: Prepare The Ingredients

Add rice flour, tapioca flour, and water to the bowl. Mix them well. Let the batter rest for 2 hours.

Julienne the carrots, cucumber, and bell pepper into thin strips.

Mix the sliced beef with minced ginger, black pepper, and three-quarters of the minced garlic. Marinate the beef for at least 20 minutes.

Step 2: Stir-fry the Beef and Vegetables

Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Drop in the rest of the minced garlic.

Add the marinated beef and salt. Stir-fry for 4 minutes, then transfer the beef to a plate.

Add the carrot strips to the skillet. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Steam Phở Noodles

Fill one-third or half the steamer with water. Bring to a boil.

Brush or spray a dish with some oil to make it non-stick.

Put the dish in the steamer. Heat it in there for 5 minutes.

Ladle some of the batter into the dish and distribute it evenly.

Put on the lid. Steam for 3 minutes.

Scrape off the noodle sheet with a knife. Repeat this process until the batter runs out.

Step 4: Rolling the Phở Noodle Sheets

Lay a sheet of phở noodles on a dish.

Add lettuce, beefsteak plant, fish mint, Thai basil, beef, cucumbers, carrot, and bell pepper. Wrap the phở noodle sheet around the filling into a tight roll.

Repeat this process until the ingredients run out.

What Are the Best Tips And Tricks For Preparing Phở Cuốn?

In this section, I will mention my cooking tips for phở cuốn, suggestions for its accompaniments, advice on how to store and reheat this dish, and similar Vietnamese dishes to try.

Below is what I do to add even more deliciousness to my phở cuốn.

What Dishes Go Well With Phở Cuốn?

Vietnamese people mostly serve phở cuốn with extra fresh vegetables, spicy chili sauce, and dipping sauces made from Vietnamese fish sauce.

To make a typical phở cuốn dipping sauce, mix Vietnamese fish sauce with minced garlic, minced chili pepper, and vinegar or lime juice.

How To Store And Reheat Phở Cuốn?

Each ingredient in phở cuốn has its own shelf life. For example, stir-fried beef can be refrigerated for 2 – 3 days and frozen for 2 – 3 months.

The fresh vegetables can stay in the fridge for 4 – 7 days, but they are generally unfit for freezing.
Meanwhile, the phở noodles have a short shelf life and can only be stored in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.

They aren’t suitable for storing in the freezer, but you can sun-dry or dehydrate them to prolong theirshelf life by 1 – 2 months.

Alternatively, you can keep the rice batter in the fridge for 2 – 3 days and 1 – 2 months in the freezer.
To reheat phở cuốn, you can cook everything in a steamer or a microwave.

Make Phở Cuốn at Home, Why Not?

Phở cuốn is a fantastic way to reinvent the traditional pho recipe. Anyone who wants something other than the soupy phở dish will love this refreshing and convenient dish. From informal meals to potluck parties, phở cuốn is ideal for all occasions.

What do you think about this recipe? Do you have ideas that can make it even more helpful to other readers? I’m all ears, so share your thoughts with me in the comment section! And don’t forget to tell your friends about this post!